Car-seal.



PATENTED OCT. 23, 1906. 0. B. EMERSON.

CAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED 00'T.12, 1905.

TH: Nolens llzrns ca, wlxnmcmn, D. c.

UNITED s-TirrEs` 'PATENT OEEIOE. vv

ONO B. EMERsoNOEwArEEviLLE, MINNESOTA', AssieNoafoF vONE- HALE To 'EEANKW'-l GREENE,

OF WATERVILLE, MINNESOTA.

CAR-SEAL.

To all whom t may concern; l

Be it known that I, ONO B. EMERSON, a

. citizen of the "United States, residing at Waterville, in the county Of Lesueur and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals; and Ido hereby .declare the following to vbe a full,

` a simple and extremely eiiicient car-seal of very small cost; and to this end it consists of the novel, devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims. i l 7 l For thesake of definiteness the improved device is herein desi natedfas a Icar-seal, but it will of course e understood that it is not limited to such use, but is capable of eneral application wherever a seal of the c aracter will be found serviceable. This improved seal is constructed from a single piece of tin or other thin sheet metal, which is first stam Led out in ythe form of a blank and is then ent to its proper form. l

The improved seal is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

. Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view in front elevation, showing the complete seal with its ends interlocked.y Fig. 2is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, on the line m2 ac3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line x2 :r3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the metal blank as it ap ears after having been stamped out, and Fig. 5 is 'a section on the line 065965 of Fig. 4.

Referring first to the blank as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the numeral 1 indicates the long ribbon-like body of the seal, the same having at one end an integrally-formed head 2 3 and having at its other end a relatively small head 4. The head 4 has laterallyspaced side lips 4a and an intermediate lip 4b. The lips 4a and 4b are reversely bent at angles with respect to the body 1, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5 and by full lines in Figs. 2 and 3. The head 2 3 is made u of two parts that are ada ted to be folde together to form the loc -pocket of the corn- Specication of "Letters Patent. i 'Application sled octobtr 12, 1905. serial No. 282,361.'

Patented oct. 2319oav pleted seal. The parts-2 and 3'have intersecting circular ed es, and when folded together the margina ortions 2a of the part 2 are adapted to be fo ded over the segmental edges of the part 3.` VThe folded edges 2a should be tightly rolledor clanched on the edges of the part3, and they may be further y secured by soldering or 'brazing or riveting, if found desirable. The art 3 1s depressed or laterally offset at 5 to orm a pocket or seat for the head 4, and it is provided with a wide lip', that projects at the outer extremity of the depression 5 and is bent in the com leted device into the form indicated by dotte lines in Fig. 5 and by f ull lines in Figs. 2 and 3.

At the junction of the body-strip 1 with the portion 2 the blank is stamped out toform a relatively narrow lil l7, which when the device is com leted is ent into the form shown p by dotted ines in Fig. 5 'ar1d in Figs. 2 and 3 by full lines. When the lip 6 is bent in the forrn described, the curved portion 8 is formed, and when the lip l7 is bent in the form 'described the curved portion 9 is formed. The curved portions' '8' and 9 by reason of the method of stam ing, cutting,

and bending the same herein escribed possess resiliency and the character of springs. When the, blank is bent and pressed together to form the completed seal, the curved portions 8 and 9 come in contact and effectually close the door or opening into the head or pocket of the seal and must be forced apart when the head 4 is being placed in operative position, of which forcing apart thelr s ring character renders them capable. -The ips 6 and 7 are stamped and cut from the same pieceof metal from which the seal is made. The lip 'isbent inwardly and downwardly, thus forming a spring below and beyond the curved portion 8. The lip 7 is bent inwardly and upwardly, thus forming a spring above and beyond the curved portion 9. These lips-may be cut in various forms and turned and folded in various ways, as the remaining elements of the interlocking mechanism may be varied. The lip 7, being in the space in the pocket above the curved ortions 8 and 9, yields only when the hea 4 is inserted through and between the curved ortions 8 and 9 and on account of its resi iency and spring character is lthe essential and governing element in the interlocking mechanism,y

while the resiliency and spring character of IOO the lip 6 insure that that element will always be ready to engage with the other elements in locking the seal. When the device is completed, the two'lips 6 and 7 extend into the pocket from lthe mouth thereof and are pressed together under their own spring tension, so that they constitute a pair of opposing but coperating spring lock prongs or ips.

The spring lip or prong 7 is of such width that it is adapted to pass through the perforation formed by the bending'out of the lip 4b of the head 4. Hence when the head 4 is forced into the pocket 5 between the curved portions 8 and 9 and between the spring lock ips or prongs 6 7 said lips 6 and 7 will be separated to permit the lips 4a 4b to pass but when the head 4 is pulled downward the spring-lip 7 will catch under the lip 4b and will be caused to pass through the perforation of the head 4, while the wide spring-lip 6 will catch under the two lips 4a, thereby securely lookin@V the head 4 against removal from the said pocket. By reason of their spring character the curved portions 8 and 9 assist in securing the head 4 against removal from the pocke This device, while extremely simple and of very'small cost, has been found extremely efficient for the purposes had in view. It is perfectly reliable in its action, and when the ends of the sealing-strip are once interlocked they can be separated only by destroying the seal. As is evident, the interlocking lips of the seal are protected by the inclosing walls of the pocket 5 in such manner that they cannot be disengaged without cutting into the pocket, and thus destroying the seal. The entrance to the pocket 5 is normally and entirely closed by the curved portions 8 and 9, which yield sufficiently to permit the entrance of the head 4 when it is desired to lock the seal. It is evident that the head which contains the pocket 5, as well as other parts f the seal, may take different forms without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A seal constructed of a single piece of metal having at one end a duplex head bent transversely upon itself to form a pocket, one portion of said head being dished to provide `the pocket-cavity, springs formed integrally with said piece of material and disposed within said pocket, said piece of material having at its other end reversely-bent lips adapted to enter said pocket and interlock with the said interior springs.

2. A seal constructed from a single piece of thin metal, and comprising a body-strip 1, the head 4 at one end thereof, the head 2 3 at the other end thereof, the part 2 having the inwardly-bent spring-lip 7 and the part 3 having the inwardly-bent wide lip 6 and pocket 5, said parts 2 and 3 being folded together and having their edges clenched, and said head 4 having the reversely-bent lips 4a 4b, and which head 4 is insertible into the pocket 5, between the spring-lips 6 and 7, and which lips 6 and 7 interlock with said lips 4a and 4b, substantially as described.

3. A seal constructed of a single piece of metal comprising a pocket at one end, springlips arranged within said pocket, and at the mouth of said pocket spring resilient portions normally in contact to close the entrance to the pocket.

4. A seal constructed of a single piece of metal, comprising a pocket, anda having at the mouth of the pocket resilientportions normally in contact and closing entrance into the pocket, and internallyarranged springs constituting continuations of said resilient ortions and adapted to coperate with ot er members to lock the seal.

5. A seal constructed from a single piece of thin metal and comprising a body-strip 1, the head 4 at one end thereof, the head 2, 3, at the other end thereof, the part 2 having the inuf'ardly-bent spring-lip 7, provided with a curved portion 9, said lip cut from the same piece of metal, and the part 3 having the inwardly-bent spring-lip 6 and pocket 5, said spring-lip 6 being provided wlth the curved portion 8 and cut from the same piece 0f metal, said parts 2, 3, being folded together and having their edges clenched, and vwhen so folded and clenched the said folded edges 8, 9, coming in contact and normally closing the opening to the pocket 5, and said head 4 having reversely-bent lips 4, 4b, and which head 4 is insertible into the pocket 5 between the curved portions 8 and 9, and between the spring-lips 6 and 7, which spring-lips 6 and 7 interlock with the lips 4, 4b.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ONO B. EMERSON.

Witnesses:

. GEO. J. DREssEL, F. W. GREENE.

IOO 

